Jewish Communists Campaign Against High Holiday Observance

An intensive campaign against the observance of the Jewish High Holidays, beginning this year on October 5th, is under way under the leadership of the Jewish section of the Communist party.

“Red Rosh Hashanah” and “Red Kol Nidre Night” will be features of the campaign, which is designed to wean the Jewish working masses away from observing the traditional Jewish holidays. The original plan of declaring the Day of Atonement, October 15, as a compulsory day of labor for the Jewish workers, who are to give their day’s earnings for the industrialization of the Jewish masses, was abandoned, but a voluntary “Jewish industrialization day” will be proclaimed on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, October 6.

A decision to this effect was reached last night at a conference between Jewish Communist leaders and representatives of artisans’ and workers’ organizations in Moscow. After heated discussions, it was decided that the observance of the industrialization day by working is to be voluntary and that the earnings are to be given by the workers towards the fund required for the construction of a Soviet aeroplane to be named Bidjan. The Jewish section of the Communist party plans to carry out a registration of Jewish workers in the various factories and of the Jewish artisans, thus checking up on those who will not participate in the industrialization work.